STORY ONE, CHAPTER ELEVEN.
An hour of council, and then another--our two leaders not seeming toagree as to the extent of the coming danger. Challenge from the westroof: "Orderly in sight."
Sure enough, a man on horseback riding very slowly, and as if his horsewas dead beat.
"Surely it isn't that poor fellow come back, because his horse hasfailed? He ought to have walked on," said Captain Dyer.
"Same man," said Lieutenant Leigh, looking through his glass; and beforevery long, the poor fellow who had gone away at daybreak rode slowly upto the gate, was admitted, and then had to be helped from his horse,giving a great sobbing groan as it was done.
"In here, quick!" I said, for I thought I heard the ladies' voices; andwe carried him in to where Mrs Bantem was, as usual, getting ready fordinner, and there we laid him on a mattress.
"Despatches, captain," he says, holding up the captain's letter toColonel Maine. "They didn't get that. They were too many for me. Idropped one, though, with my pistol, and cut my way through the others."
As he spoke, I untwisted his leather sword-knot, which was cutting intohis wrist, for his hacked and blood-stained sabre was hanging from hishand.
"Wouldn't go back into the scabbard," he said faintly; and then with aharsh gasp: Water--water!
He revived then a bit; and as Captain Dyer and Mrs Bantem between themwere attending to, and binding up his wounds, he told us how he had beenset upon ten miles off, and been obliged to fight his way back; and,poor chap, he had fought; for there were no less than ten lance-woundsin his arms, thighs, and chest, from a slight prick up to a horriblegash, deep and long enough, it seemed to me, to let out half-a-dozenpoor fellows' souls.
Just in the middle of it, I saw Captain Dyer start and look strange, forthere was a shadow came across where we were kneeling; and the nextinstant he was standing between Miss Ross and the wounded man.
"Pray, go, dear Elsie; this is no place for you," I heard him whisper toher.
"Indeed, Lawrence," she whispered, "am I not a soldier's daughter? Iought to say this is no place for you. Go, and make your arrangementsfor our defence."
I don't think any one but me saw the look of love she gave him as shetook sponge and lint from his hand, pressing it as she did so, and thenher pale face lit up with a smile as she met his eyes; the next momentshe was kneeling by the wounded trooper, and in a quiet firm way helpingMrs Bantem, in a manner that made her, poor woman, stare withastonishment.
"God bless you, my darling," she whispered to her, as soon as they haddone, and the poor fellow was lying still--a toss-up with him whether itshould be death or life; and I saw Mrs Bantem take Miss Ross's softwhite hand between her two great rough hard palms, and kiss it justonce.
"And I'd always been abusing and running her down for a fine madam, goodfor nothing but to squeak songs, and be looked at," Mrs Bantem said tome, a little while after. "Why, Isaac Smith, we shall be having thatlittle maid shewing next that there's something in her."
"And why not?" I said gruffly.
"Ah, to be sure," says she, with a comical look out of one eye; "whynot? But, Isaac, my lad," she said sadly, and looking at me veryearnestly, "I'm afraid there's sore times coming; and if so, God inheaven help those poor bairns! Oh, if I'd been a man, and been there!"she cried, as she recollected what the trooper had told us; and sheshook her fist fiercely in the air. "It's what I always did say:soldiers' wives have no business to have children; and it's rank crueltyto the poor little things to bring them into the world."
Mrs Bantem then went off to see to her patient, while I walked into thecourt, wondering what would come next, and whether, in spite of all thelittle bitternesses and grumbling, everybody, now some of the sternrealities of life were coming upon us, would shew up the bright side ofhis or her nature and somehow I got very hopeful that they would.
I felt just then that I should have much liked to have a few words withLizzy Green, but I had no chance, for it was a busy time with us.Captain Dyer felt strongly enough his responsibility, and not a minutedid he lose in doing all he could for our defence; so that after ananxious day, with nothing more occurring, when I looked round at whathad been done in barricading and so on, it seemed to me, speaking as asoldier, that, as far as I could judge, there was nothing more to bedone, though still the feeling would come home to me that it was a greatplace for forty men to defend, if attacked by any number. Captain Dyermust have seen that, for he had arranged to have a sort of citadel atthe north end by the gateway, and this was to be the last refuge, whereall the ammunition and food and no end of chatties of water were stoweddown in the great vault-place, which went under this part of thebuilding and a good deal of the court. Then the watch was set, trebledthis time, on roof and at window, and we waited impatiently for themorning. Yes, we all of us, I believe, waited impatiently for themorning, when I think if we had known all that was to come, we shouldhave knelt down and prayed for the darkness to keep on hour after hour,for days, and weeks, and months, sooner than the morning should havebroke as it did upon a rabble of black faces, some over white clothes,some over the British uniform that they had disgraced; and as I, who wason the west roof, heard the first hum of their coming, and caught thefirst glimpse of the ragged column, I gave the alarm, setting my teethhard as I did so; for, after many years of soldiering, I was now for thefirst time to see a little war in earnest.
Captain Dyer's first act on the alarm being given was to double theguard over the three blacks, now secured in the strongest room he couldfind, the black nurse being well looked after by the women. Then, quickalmost as thought, every man was at the post already assigned to him;the women and children were brought into the corner rooms by the gates,and then we waited excitedly for what should follow. The captain nowordered me out of the little party under a sergeant, and made me hisorderly, and so it happened that always being with or about him, I knewhow matters were going on, and was always carrying the orders, now toLieutenant Leigh, now to this sergeant or that corporal; but at thefirst offset of the defence of the old place, there was a disputebetween captain and lieutenant; and I'm afraid it was maintained by thelast out of obstinacy, and just at a time when there should have beennothing but pulling together for the sake of all concerned. I must say,though, that there was right on both sides.
Lieutenant Leigh put it forward as his opinion that short of men as wewere, it was folly to keep four enemies under the same roof, who werelikely at any time to overpower the one or two sentries placed overthem; while, if there was nothing to fear in that way, there was stillthe necessity of shortening our defensive forces by a couple of valuablemen.
"What would you do with them, then?" said Captain Dyer.
"Set them at liberty," said Lieutenant Leigh.
"I grant all you say, in the first place," said the captain; "but ourretaining them is a sheer necessity."
"Why?" said Lieutenant Leigh, with a sneer; and I must say that at firstI held with him.
"Because," said the captain sternly, "if we set them at liberty, weincrease our enemies' power, not merely with three men, but withscoundrels who can give them the fullest information of our defences,over and above that of which I am afraid they are already possessed.The matter will not bear further discussion--Lieutenant Leigh, go now toyour post, and do your duty to the best of your power."
Lieutenant Leigh did not like this, and he frowned but Captain Dyer washis superior officer, and it was his duty to obey, so of course he did.
Now, our position was such, that, say, a hundred men with a field-piececould have knocked a wing in, and then carried us by assault with ease;but though our enemies were full two hundred and fifty, and many of themdrilled soldiers, pieces you may say of a great machine, fortunately forus, there was no one to put that machine together, and set it in motion.We soon found that out, for, instead of making the best of things, andtaking possession of buildings--sheds and huts--here and there, fromwhich to annoy us, they came up in a mob to the gate, and
one fellow ona horse--a native chief, he seemed to be--gave his sword a wave, andhalf-a-dozen sowars round him did the same, and then they called to usto surrender.
Captain Dyer's orders were to act entirely on the defensive, and to fireno shot till we had the word, leaving them to commence hostilities.
"For," said he, speaking to all the men, "it may be a cowardly policywith such a mutinous set in front of us, but we have the women andchildren to think of; therefore, our duty is to hold the foe at bay, andwhen we do fire, to make every shot tell. Beating them off is, I fear,impossible, but we may keep them out till help comes."
"Wouldn't it be advisable, sir, try and send off another despatch?" Isaid; "there's the trooper's horse."
"Where?" said Captain Dyer, with a smile. "That has already beenthought of Smith; and Sergeant Jones, the only good horseman we have,went off at two o'clock, and by this time is, I hope, out of danger.--Good heavens! what does that mean?" he said, using his glass.
It was curious that I should have thought of such a thing just then, ata time when four sowars led up Sergeant Jones tied by a piece of rope toone of their saddle-bows, while the trooper's horse was behind.
Captain Dyer would not shew, though, that he was put out by the failureof that hope: he only passed the word for the men to stand firm, andthen sent me with a message to Mrs Colonel Maine, requesting that everyone should keep right away from the windows, as the enemy might openfire at any time.
He was quite right, for just as I knocked at Mrs Maine's door, aregular squandering, scattering fire began, and you could hear thebullets striking the wall with a sharp pat, bringing down showers ofwhite lime-dust and powdered stone.
I found Mrs Maine seated on the floor with her children, pale andtrembling, the little things the while laughing and playing over somepictures. Miss Ross was leaning over her sister, and Lizzy Green waswaiting to give the children something else when they were tired.
As the rattle of the musketry began, it was soon plain enough to see whohad the stoutest hearts; but I seemed to be noticing nothing, though Idid a great deal, and listened to Mrs Bantem's voice in the next room,bullying and scolding a woman for crying out loud and upsettingeverybody else.
I gave my message, and then Miss Ross asked me if any one was hurt, towhich I answered as cheerfully as could be that we were all right asyet; and then, taking myself off, Lizzy Green came with me to the door,and I held out my hand to say "Good-bye," for I knew it was possible Imight never see her again. She gave me her hand, and said "Good-bye,"in a faltering sort of way, and it seemed to me that she shrank from me.The next instant, though, there was the rattling crash of the firing,and I knew now that our men were answering.